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“That’s what I did before I quit to help my ex,” she said, longing in her tone. “Articulate said they would take me back, but I had spent too much time away and they couldn’t hire me anymore.”
“Your ex is a dick,” Vincent growled.
“You are right, sir,” she laughed.
“Ah, Easton, I was hoping you were going to come to me and say hello, but it looks like your company is making you lose your manners,” my father sneered, standing in our way with my mother by his side.
“With how you've been sneering at him all night, I can see why he hasn’t stopped by to say hello,” Noemi snapped, glaring at my parents.
“And you are?” My father glared at her.
“None of your business,” I said, finally finding my voice. I grabbed her around the waist ready to leave.
“I’m running for office and it's about time you quit your little game of charades. You need to come home to support me,” he said quickly. “I assumed some time away would make you realize how important family is.”
“Excuse me? You expect me to come home since you cut me off almost ten years ago?” I growled, now realizing why they were here. “Ah, I see now you’ll accept me when it's in your best interest. Ten years too late. Goodbye.”
I grabbed Noemi’s hand desperate to get her away from my awful parents. Her or Vincent didn’t need to be anywhere near them. It was a life I tried every day to forget and I didn’t need them being subjected to my awful small minded parents.
24
NOEMI
After the charity event, Easton started pulling away. We had an intense session after the event, but the following morning he was gone before we woke up. He didn’t answer mine or Vincent’s phone calls and only once replied with a text message, saying he had a lot of work to get to.
Vincent and I were unconvinced, but he said we had to let Easton come to us. Now I knew how they felt when I had pushed them away. This helplessness made me feel restless and it stayed with me most of the week. On Friday, I called him three times in a row, tired of his evasiveness. I decided to text him for the millionth time.
Me: Talk to me please. You're worrying me.
He didn’t respond and when I was in an Uber heading to Vincent’s place, my phone rang and I answered it immediately
“Please don’t stay away again,” I said quickly.
“Do what?” my sister Samantha asked with confusion.
“Oh sorry, I thought you were someone else,” I said, keeping my disappointment out of my voice. “How are you, Sammy?”
“I’m sorry, are we seeing someone?” Her voice was teasing.
“Not really,” I said, skimming along the truth.
“Well, the paper says something else,” she chuckled.
“Paper, what the hell are you talking about?” I got out of my Uber in front of Vincent's building.
“We get the Denver Voice and guess who’s on the front page?”
Shit.
“I don’t know, some hot guys,” I said, sticking with my obliviousness.
“I mean, on any other day you wouldn’t be wrong, but no. You are,” she said.
Fuck, why the hell did I make it on the front page of an LGBTQ+ newspaper? I mean, out of all the people there, why me?
“Oh, yeah. I went to a charity event with a friend,” I said, regretting the word friend, it didn’t feel right.
“Uh, two very hot friends,” she said immediately.
